The present invention relates to mobile telephone network access and more particularly to mobile telephone network access for stationary or mobile devices.
With the increasing use of mobile telephones, proposals have been made to make use of mobile telephones to control and interact wirelessly with local systems. For example, JP 8249530 describes the use of a mobile telephone to purchase goods from a vending machine by sending a radio signal directly to the vending machine or alternatively by placing a call to the vending machine over a telephone circuit. The cost of a purchased article or service is charged to the telephone subscriber""s telephone account. Similarly, the use of mobile telephones to purchase such things as train and airline tickets, as well as to remotely operate televisions, stereos, etc., can be envisaged.
Consumer take-up of products offering this type of functionality will depend to a large extent upon the inter-operability of the products. The same applies to take-up by manufacturers. As such, the definition of some appropriate industry-wide standard for the radio interface between mobile terminals and local systems, e.g. vending machines, televisions, etc., is almost essential. A number of major electronics companies are currently working together in a project named xe2x80x9cBlue Toothxe2x80x9d with the aim of providing such a standard.
Whilst the provision of a standard in this area will theoretically facilitate the interworking of mobile terminals with multiple local systems, a number of practical problems remain to be overcome.
One such problem has been recognised by the inventors of the present invention. In order to enable a stationary or mobile device, hereafter referred to as a local system, to contact a mobile subscriber""s operator, it has been thought necessary to provide the local system with either a connection to a fixed line telephone network or a direct connection to a mobile network, i.e. effectively providing the local system with its own mobile telephone. These options are potentially expensive and/or complex to install.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the disadvantages of current proposals for connecting a local system to a mobile network. This and other objects are achieved, at least in part, by making use of a mobile terminal in proximity to the local system to relay electronic transaction information from the local system to the mobile network. The local system can be a stationary or fixed device or it can be a mobile device possibly having a restricted mobility.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of conveying electronic information or locally generated messages from a local system like a stationary or mobile device to a mobile telephone network, the method comprising transmitting the information from the local system to a mobile terminal in close proximity to the local system via a local wireless communication link between said local system and said mobile terminal and subsequently relaying the information from the mobile terminal to the mobile network via the mobile network radio link. Preferably, the mobile terminal is a traditional or genuine mobile terminal like a mobile telephone or the like, which according to one aspect of the present invention is made capable of performing the relay function as described.
By utilising mobile terminals to relay information from a local system to a mobile network, it becomes no longer necessary to provide a direct connection between each and every local system and the telephone network. Thus, the cost and complexity of the local systems is reduced.
Preferably, the local system in close proximity to the mobile terminals is able to take at least partial temporary control over the mobile terminals and so to interact with the mobile terminals via said wireless communication link which preferably is a bi-directional link. For example, a mobile terminal user may conduct a transaction with the local system, e.g. where the local system is a vending machine or the like device of stationary or mobile nature, wherein the mobility may be restricted in relation to the genuine mobile terminals.
Preferably, the electronic information relayed by the mobile terminal from the local system to the mobile network comprises mobile terminal authentication data and/or financial data.
Preferably, the mobile terminal relays electronic information from the mobile network to the local system via the mobile radio network and the wireless communication link.
Preferably, the wireless communication link coupling the mobile terminal and the local system is a radio link. Alternatively however, the link may be an infra-red or an ultrasonic link.
Preferably, the method comprises enabling the user of a mobile terminal to allow or disallow the use of the terminal to relay information from the local system to the mobile network. This may either be done on a per transmission basis or may be a user definable setting of the terminal.
It is noted that the final destination (or source) of information relayed by a mobile terminal may be a component of the mobile network or may be a terminal or node coupled to the mobile network, e.g. via another telephone network or a data network, e.g. the Internet.
According to second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for conveying electronic information from a local system like a stationary or mobile device to a mobile telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
transmitting means at the stationary or mobile device and receiving means at a mobile terminal, the transmitting and receiving means together providing a short range wireless transmission link;
first signal processing means at the stationary, or mobile device arranged to transmit said electronic information to the mobile terminal over said transmission link; and
second signal processing means at the mobile terminal for receiving the transmitted information and for causing the information to be transmitted to the mobile network over the mobile radio link.
Preferably, the arrangement further comprises corresponding receiving means arranged at the stationary or mobile device for receiving signals transmitted by corresponding transmitting means arranged at the mobile terminal.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile terminal arranged to communicate with a mobile telephone network via a mobile radio link, the terminal comprising:
receiver means for receiving information transmitted from a stationary or mobile device over a short range wireless link; and
signal processing means for processing the received information into a format suitable for transmission over the mobile radio link and for subsequently causing the processed data to be transmitted over the mobile radio link to the mobile network.
Favorably the mobile terminal comprises corresponding transmission means arranged to transmit information to the stationary or mobile device.